Today’s Actions on Capitol Hill Prove Why DC Statehood is the Only Way Forward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 16th, 2023

PRESS CONTACT:
Patrice Snow
[email protected]

Washington, DC – The Senate just voted to pass H.J. Res 42, Ohio Senator JD Vance’s disapproval resolution to overturn DC’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. On the other side of the Capitol, the House Oversight Committee, under the leadership of Kentucky Rep. James Comer, held a hearing with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and other District leaders on supposed rising crime rates in the District. Due to today’s developments on Capitol Hill, DC Vote’s Patrice Snow released the following statement:

“Today was a consequential day for Washington, DC and her 700,000 tax paying residents. First, in the House Oversight Committee, Kentucky Rep. James Comer and his colleagues attempted to attack DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves on crime. However, Mayor Bowser correctly countered that the way to solve many of DC’s problem is Statehood. In fact, DC Statehood is one of the few ways to build a better and stronger democracy.”

“And then in the Senate, Ohio Senator JD Vance introduced his only second piece of legislation as a United States Senator and it wasn’t to help the people of Akron or Cleveland but rather to repeal legislation lawfully passed by the DC Council. The disapproval resolution of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, which doesn’t affect a single Ohioan, has no legal impact because it was brought to the floor after the 60-day Congressional review period. Quite simply, Senator Vance is using DC to send a political message. But we have a feeling the people of Youngstown and Cincinnati, Ohio want JD Vance to figure out how the Senate works first by introducing legislation within a legal timeframe before performing political stunts that does nothing to help his constituents living in Ohio’s 88 counties.”

###